Faith Joan Winchester
by DawnieWrites
Summary: The Powers That Be place Faith in a loving family: two brothers, one father...and a dead mother. Second in my "Second Chances" series.
1. Introduction

_Lawrence, Kansas; November 2, 1983_

"Dean? Are you awake?" four-year-old Faith Winchester whispered in the dark, her nose still stuffy from her recent cold. "Dean, I think Sammy is crying!"

"Mom'll get it," Dean replied groggily; and then they heard the scream and the two toddlers bolted upright in their beds. Dean threw off his blanket and clambered out of his bed, running to the door.

"Dean, where are you going? Don't leave me here alone!"

"You know better than to be afraid of the dark Faith. Remember what mom said: the angels are always watching over us."

"Please?"

"Fine, come on," he huffed, holding out his hand. Faith jumped out of bed and ran over, taking her twin's outstretched hand. Dean pushed open the bedroom door and led her down the hallway to see their dad running out of the nursery, Sam in his arms as fire flickered in the doorway behind him.

"Daddy, what's going on?" Faith asked, stifling a cough.

"Dean, get your brother and sister outside as fast as you can and don't look back. Now, Dean, go!" Dean nodded and let go of Faith's hand, grabbing Sam in both of his small arms. Faith immediately latched onto the back of his shirt, following him as he ran downstairs. They stopped just outside of the house, looking up at the second story where they thought their father was; and then John was scooping all three of his children into his arms and running with them just as the house burst into flames.

An hour later Faith was curled up in her father's lap, one of Dean's hands clasped in hers and her free arm wrapped around Sam. John had an arm around Dean and an arm around Sam as he watched the fire department try in vain to save the house he knew could not be saved. His wife was dead…and he was going to hunt down the thing that killed her and make it pay.


	2. No Happy Ending

**A/N: WOW this took way too long.  
Sorry for the wait.  
Multiple computer issues and such.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.**

**.**

* * *

_._

_This is the way you left me_

_I'm not pretending_

_No hope, no love, no glory_

_No happy ending._

_This is the way that we love_

_Like it's forever_

_Then live the rest of our lives_

_But not together.  
_

* * *

Faith opened her eyes and sat up to find the large bed that she had been sharing with Dean was empty. She looked around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness and heard Sam fussing in the crib across the room. She crawled out from underneath the covers and jumped down onto the floor, padding quietly across the cold hardwood floors and peeking inside of the crib to find Dean lying inside of the crib next to their baby brother, one arm resting over him protectively, and she relaxed slightly.

Faith smiled, scrambling onto the big fluffy rocking chair next to the crib, using it as leverage to lift one short leg over the top of the gate and struggle over the side before curling up on the other side of Sam, a thumb in her mouth and one arm over both of her brothers; she was fast asleep again in minutes.

* * *

John felt a moment of panic when he opened the bedroom door to find neither Faith nor Dean in the guest bed; then he heard the soft sound of Dean's snoring and the familiar sound of his daughter's quiet breathing and followed it to the port-a-crib, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of all three of his children nestled safely together. He collapsed in the plush rocking chair, head cradled in his hands.

It seemed like just yesterday that they were bringing little Sammy home from the hospital to meet his excited older siblings; like Mary was pulling a fresh apple pie out of the oven and trying to keep it out of reach of Dean's eager little fingers until after dinner; like he was watching the twins ride their new bicycles; like Dean was playing in his first T-ball game. And now his wife was dead. The woman he loved, the mother of his children, was dead.

God he wanted her back; his wife, his _reason for living_, was gone. No, that wasn't true. He had the children; living, breathing reminders of Mary. Everything else was gone. Their house was destroyed and everything with it: Mary's diaries, all of the kids' toys, all of their clothes, all of the bonds in their names, and Mary's jewelry. There was nothing left, except for her wedding ring; he fingered the small cool object that now hung around his neck and swallowed his tears. She had dragged him out of the war and kept him sane, but now his children kept him grounded, gave him a reason to live.

Two weeks ago he had lost his wife, _his children had lost their mother_, and there hadn't even been enough of her to bury to hold a proper funeral; not that Mary's family back in Illinois hadn't held one anyway.

"Daddy?" John raised his head to find Faith sitting up, staring at him with sleep-clouded eyes.

"What's wrong baby girl?" He asked softly, lifting her out of the crib and into his lap.

"Mommy?" she murmured tiredly.

"Shh Faithie, it's okay, just go back to sleep. It's all gonna be okay, I promise." Faith sighed against his ear, burying her face in his neck and clutching at his shirt as she slid back into dreamland.

* * *

Faith sat at the kitchen table in the clothes that Aunt Kate has helped her pick out a few days earlier. She was just sitting there staring at her plate of half-eaten eggs, half-listening to Sam's happy giggles as he clapped his hands together, spraying oatmeal everywhere. Dean slouched in a chair next to her, mashing his bacon into his oatmeal with his fork and bringing a small smile to Faith's lips.

"Faith, Dean, sweetie, please eat your breakfast," Kate entreated, removing Sam's dish from in front of him and wiping the high chair down with a wet dish towel before cleaning Sam's face.

"Not hungry," Faith replied quietly, "where's daddy?"

"Your daddy is still sleeping sweetie."

"Can we go watch T.V.?" Kate sighed and nodded. Faith scooted her chair back away from the table and Dean followed suit, helping Faith lift Sam down out of his high chair so she could carry him into the living room. Dean walked over to the television and turned it on, changing the channel to some cartoon before turning to face his twin, not even bothering paying attention to the bright colors that now held Sam's rapt attention.

"You okay Faithie?" he asked, trying to be quiet so Kate couldn't hear them; he could always tell when something was wrong with his twin, like the time she got a splinter and refused to tell anyone and he had to tell mommy that Faith's foot was hurting. Faith shook her head, sitting down and sitting Sam firmly in her lap.

"Mommy's gone," she whispered, "that's what Auntie Julie said right?" Dean nodded. "But she's not coming back." Dean nodded again.

"Aunt Julie and Aunt Kate said mommy is with the angels."

"But the angels are in heaven. That's what mommy always said; the angels are in heaven, where they can keep watch over everyone and protect them." Dean sat down next to his sister. "I…I don't think I believe in angels."

"Why not?"

"If angels were real they would have protected mommy. They would never have taken her with them!" she burst out, letting the tears roll down her cheeks. Dean leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, letting her lean into the comforting feel as their younger brother continued to giggle and laugh at the bright colors and loud noises emitted by the television, unable to understand.

From the doorway, Kate watched the children, making up her mind to convince Mike to talk to John. No way in hell was this broken family going to fix itself, and as Mary's best friend, she owed it to the woman to at least try and get it on the path to repair.

"How are they doin?"

"They're a mess," Kate replied, turning around to face her husband, "I don't know what I can do to help them Mike; they're little kids, I don't think they fully understand the concept of death, no matter how gently Julie explained it to them. How's John?"

"At the rate he's going? He'll be in a permanent drunken stupor by the end of the month."

"You have to talk to him; you have to get him to _pull it together_!" she hissed.

"I'll talk to him today," he soothed, running his hands over her shoulders.

"I'm just…I wish that there was more that we could do."

* * *

Faith opened her eyes slowly, lifting her head off of Dean's shoulder and sitting up in the backseat of the Impala, looking around for her dad and Sam, only to find her dad gone and the car seat empty. She unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed open the door, climbing out of the car and looking around, trying to figure out where they were; the last thing that she remembered was falling asleep on the couch at Aunt Kate and Uncle Mike's.

She rubbed at her eyes, smoothing out the creases in the black skirt she had been wearing since the strange men buried her mommy in the wooden box in the ground. She had refused to take it off afterwards; it smelled just like mommy and she didn't want to take it off, ever.

"Faith?" She turned around to see her dad walking up behind her, Sam in his arms.

"Where are Auntie Kate and Uncle Mike and Auntie Julie?"

"They're at home sweetie; Dean still sleeping?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can you take Sammy while I wake him up? There's somebody I want you three to meet."

Faith nodded and held out her arms, taking her baby brother from her father, who then opened the door to the Impala and emerged a few minutes later holding a surly Dean in his arms. He set Dean down on his feet next to Faith and carefully took Sam from her before taking one of Dean's hands, who then took one of Faith's hands before following his dad into the strange house.

"Missouri?"

"I'm here," a woman responded, walking out into the foyer to meet them.

"Missouri, these are my kids; my daughter, Faith, and the boys, Dean and Sam," John introduced. Faith just stared up at the strange woman, clutching Dean's hand a little tighter.

"Such darkness in this room," the woman observed quietly. "These children could use a little more brightness in their auras." Her eyes landed on Faith. "Well now, you're a very special little girl aren't you?" Faith didn't reply. "You've got such amazing potential within you. But…you're so sad."

"Mommy's gone," she whispered, "and Auntie Julie said that she's staying with the angels now."

"Do i_you/i_ believe that she's with the angels?" Missouri asked.

"I…I don't think I believe in angels." Missouri smiled gently, softness in her eyes.

"I don't blame you one bit honey."

John watched Missouri with his children, desperately hoping he could keep at bay the darkness she claimed to have seen in them.

.

* * *

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**A/N: Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. And please, I'll update when I get time, but with school starting again on Monday, I make you all no promises.**


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